Foldable frame for chairs, tables, or the like.



A. G. COLE.

FOLDABLE FRAME FOR CHAIRS, TABLES, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.9, 1909.

' Patented May 28, 1912.

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v Wbinesses.

A. G. COLE.

FOLDABLE FRAME FOR CHAIRS, TABLES, OR THE LIKE.

yrmcwxon FILED NOV. 9, 1909.

1,027,692. Patented May 28, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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-@ K V 'dz9d2 ALEXANDER GRANT COLE, 0F OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

FOLDABLE FRAME FOR CHAIRS, TABLES, on THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed November 9, 1909. Serial No. 527,077.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 'I, ALEXANDER GRANT COLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, 7

and residing at No. 142 McLaren street, in the city of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Frames for Chairs, Tables, or the Like, of which the following'is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fold-able frames for chairs, tables or the like, as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel arrangement and construction of parts, whereby crossed bars are pivotally secured at the juncture thereof in pairs and hinged at the extremities thereof to side bars, and having reinforcing members secured at the juncture thereof to support the bars in their spread position, whereby they may be. folded substantially parallel and close one with the other.

The objects'of the'invention are to devise a supporting-frame for a chair, table or the like, which will be inter-connected to form .a very rigid and durable frame-work 0f exceedingly light construction, so that the chair, table or other article of furniture having a frame as hereinafter described may be readily folded into a very small compass and carried from one place to another.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frame in its set-up position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the frame with the cover secured thereon to form a complete chair. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the frame partially folded. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the joint members at the juncture of the crossed bars forming the front of the chair. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the joint member at the junctureof the crossed bars forming the back of the chair. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a cornerhinge member at the extremities of a crossed'barl Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional'perspective view of the corner hin e member used for connecting the back-piece of the chairl Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective detail view of one end of the backpiece and the locking-plate thereof.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in eachfigure.

Referring to the drawings, 1 are front bars pivotally secured one to the other midway of their length by the pivot-pin 2, said bars 1 forming the front of the chair frame.

3 are plates having the center orifice 4 therethrough and secured by the pivot-pin 2 between the bars 1.

The plates 3 are substantially S-shape, and have, the lugs 5 projecting outwardly therefrom to either side'of the bars 1, whereby said plates 3 are firmly clamped against the bars 1, and the lugs 5 form a substantial support for the side bars and materially strengthen the same.

6 are lugs projecting from the plates 3 on the opposite side to the lugs 5, and as the plates 3 are immediately next one another between the meeting faces of the bars 1, the lugs 6 of one plate will contact withthe lugs 6 of the other plate when the bars 1 are extended, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The bars 1 are thus firmly supported in their extended position from collapsing.

7 are'back bars pivotally secured one to the other intermediate of their length by the pivot-pin 8, said bars forming the back of the chair frame. v

9 is a plate having the central orifice 1O therethrough and interposed between the bars 7 where they are pivotally connected by the pivot-pin 8. v I j The plate 9 has the lugs 11 projecting from one side thereof next to the alternate sides of one of the bars 7, said plate being firmly secured to the bar by wood-screws 12 inserted through suitable orifices toward each end of the said plate, so that said plate turns with one bar 7 against the side of the ends thereof and hinged by the joint member hereinafter described with the lower ends of the front bars 1.

16 are hinge knuckles having the pins 17 projecting therefrom.

The knuckles 16 are inserted in the slots 13 in the lower ends of the side bars 15, pins 19 being inserted through orifices in the lower ends of the side bars 15 and a central orifice in the hinge knuckle 16, and firmly securing the hinge knuckles in the slots at the ends of said side bars 15.

20 are washers on the sides of the bar 15- where the pins 19 extend therethrough to prevent the said bar from splitting.

The pins 17 projecting from the hinge knuckles 16 are inserted through orifices at the lower ends of the bars 1 and riveted, the washers 21 being provided on said pins to the outer side of the bars 1 in order to prevent their splitting.

The side bars 15 are hinged at the top thereof to the tops of the back bars 7 by the hinge knuckles 22 similar to the hinge knuckles 16.

23 are seat bars, hinged at the outer end thereof to the upper ends of the front bars 1 by the hinge knuckles 24: similar to the knuckles 16. The seat bars 23 at their inner ends are pivotally secured to the side bars 15 intermediate of their length by the pivotpins 25.

26 are foot bars hinged at their lower ends by the knuckles 27 with the lower ends of the back bars 7, and pivotally secured at their upper ends to the side bars 15 by the pivot-pins 28 immediately below the pins 25,plates 29 being secured over the bars 23 and 26 where they are pivotally secured to the bar 15 by the pins 25 and 28.

30 is a connecting-bar extending between the back bars 7 at the upper end thereof, and having one end riveted on to the pin extending from the hinge knuckle 22, said pin being of sufiicient length to extend through the bar 7 and also the bar 30. The back bar 30 at the other end thereof has the plate 31 secured thereto on the inner side, said plate having the slot 32 enlarged at 33 at the in ner end thereof, and having the notch 34; at the outer end thereof.

As above mentioned, the pin extending from one of the hinge knuckles 22 at the top of one of the bars 7 projects through an orifice in one end of the connecting-bar 30, while the pin projecting from the hinge knuckle at the top of the other bar 7 is formed with a head 35 adapted to enter the slot 32 in the plate 31 at the enlarged end 33 thereof and slide along said plate to the notch 34 in said slot, which firmly holds the connecting-rod and the entire frame of the chair in its set-up position.

36 is a cover having a loop .37'formed at one end'thereof, through which' the connecting the head 35 of the knuckle pin 22 out of the slot in the plate 31 of the connectingbar, and removing the cover 36 from the chair. The connecting-bar 30 is then allowed to hang from the back of the chair at one corner thereof, and the whole framework may be folded together, as shown in Fig. 1. This is made possible through the measured lengths of the several bars, whereby the bars 26" together with the upper portions of the bars 15 equal in length the bars 7, and similarly thebars 23 with that portion of the bars 15 below the pins 25 equal in length the bars 1.

It must be understood that the invention, though herein described in connect-ion with a chair, is equally applicable to folding tables. This would be readily accomplished byreplacing the bars by bars similar to the bars 7, whereby a frame the proper height for a table would be obtained. Further- 1nore, the joint members used in connection "with the bars 1 and 7 could be readily used for supporting the cross legs of furniture for any use adapted to be folded into a small compass.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a foldable frame for chairs, tables or the like having a plurality of pairs of crossed bars pivotally secured one to the other intermediate of their length at their point of juncture and hinged one to the other at their extremities, of a pair of plates interposed between said pairs of crossed bars at the juncture thereof and having lugs projecting therefrom at the side in contact with a bar and clamping the sides of said bars in pairs and stop lugs projecting therefrom toward the other side so that the stop lugs of one plate contact with the stop lugs of the other plate of a pair of bars when in their extended position.

2.In a-foldableframe for chairs, tables or the like having a plurality of pairs of crossed-bars pivotally secured one to the other intermediate of their length at their pointof juncture and hinged one to the other at their extremities, of a plate of substantially S-shape on the inner side of a pairs to each side of said cross bar and Signed at the city ofOtt-awa, in the Provclamping said plate to said cross bar and ince of Ontario, in the Dominion of'Canada, stop lugs projecting from said plate on the this 5th day of October, 1909.

opposite side to the aforesaid lugs and at ALEXANDER GRANT COLE. the extreme ends thereof and contacting Witnesses: with the stop lugs of the plate on the other K. F. MAoGIBBoN,

bar of a pair. 0. F. GERVAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

